My teaching philosophy is to make learning fun and interactive. The best way to do this is to ensure a learning environment that is safe, allow for student input, and to spark student interest by connecting content to things that are relevant to students’ lives. In order for this method to be successful, teaching practices should be constantly evaluated to ensure that student learning objectives and scholastic needs are being met in all classes.
My goal as at teacher is to teach my content in a way that is fun and meaningful to my students. Students should be actively engaged in the learning process and lessons should reflect how science relates to their every day lives. Science education should be more than just relaying facts and figures. Learning should be hands on and require critical thinking. I want my students to learn how to “do” science. I want them to understand the scientific process and to become scientifically literate citizens.
I believe that students learn best in an environment where they feel safe, get to have fun, and feel like they have a little bit of control over their own education. The number one rule in my classroom is to treat others the way you would expect to be treated. Bullying will not be tolerated. I want my students to feel like they can be who they are and not be ostracized for it. I also want them to feel free to share creative ideas and make mistakes. It is O.K to make a wrong prediction or to have a hypothesis not work out. This is a science class. Part of the scientific process involves figuring out how and why things went wrong and learning from them. I also want my students to feel like they have some control over their education. Little things such as involving them in making classroom rules and allowing them to explore ideas that are interesting to them can be empowering for students. Incorporating current scientific topics or student interests that are relevant to the curriculum can make learning fun and engaging. Allowing students to be involved in classroom decisions gives them a sense of ownership and makes learning something that they are a part of.
While I like to give students options and include them in classroom decisions, I also realize that things may not always work out. As the teacher, I know that it is my job to constantly evaluate my teaching practices and adjust them accordingly. All classes are different and what may work for one my go horrifically wrong for another. Being flexible is important. Being able to accurately evaluate your teaching practices and changing them to meet the needs of your students is paramount to maximizing student success.
To be a successful teacher, I will need to create a learning environment that works for my students. Students must be given hands-on experiences, feel comfortable experimenting with new ideas, and feel like they have some input into the learning process. I also realize that creating such an environment is a major challenge. A student-centered science classroom requires students to understand the importance of safe procedures, and know how to work cooperatively. I will need to devote time and energy to cultivating a safe and productive classroom atmosphere. As a teacher, I must feel comfortable experimenting with new methods of instruction, and accept the fact that not every lesson I create will work perfectly. I must also constantly evaluate the effectiveness of my classroom practices. While I recognize that it will take years of hard work and dedication to fully implement my teaching philosophy, I am confident that I have the knowledge and willpower necessary to succeed.
My experiences in my student teaching placements this semester have reinforced my views expressed in my original teaching philosophy. I have been placed in two very different classrooms. In one of these placements, I see many of the attributes of my teaching philosophy being incorporated into the classroom. My middle school CT makes his lessons fun and engaging. He has created an environment in which students feel safe to take risks answering questions and often entertains ideas that students find interesting and would like to continue exploring. He adjusts his approach for each class to accompany the different temperaments and needs of his students. He is also extremely reflective and is constantly thinking about how to improve his instruction or an assignment.
In my high school placement, I see quite a bit of note taking and lecturing. The students are obviously disengaged and show little interest in the subject matter. Even the hands on activities seem to bore the students. Unfortunately, I don't see any reflection from this CT. I feel as though she is aware of this disengagement but lacks the will or ability to use reflective practices to change her activities and instructional techniques. I understand that not every lesson will be a great success. However I have yet to see one lesson in this class that the students are truly engaged in.
My teaching philosophy is clearly much more aligned to my middle school CT's teaching methods. My experiences with him and his students this semester have strengthened the beliefs expressed in my teaching philosophy. I have seen him execute many aspects of my philosophy with great success. His students are actively engaged and seem to genuinely enjoy his class. They are always willing to answer questions and eager to participate in classroom discussions. His reflective nature allows him to continually adapt and improve instruction to meet the needs of his students. He is an absolutely outstanding model for me and I hope to be able to emulate his teaching methods in both of my student teaching placements next semester, and in the future.
As I come to the end of my student teaching experience, my teaching philosophy has not changed much. I still believe in having fun, creating safe environments, and allowing for some student choices. What student teaching has taught me about this philosophy is that none of this is possible without proper structure and routines that need to be established starting on the very first day of school and need to be constantly reinforced until they become the expected classroom norms.
My time at Barrington Middle School was fantastic and my teaching philosophy was easy to implement. The students were actively engaged, participated willingly, and were never afraid to be wrong. What I didn't realize at the time was that this classroom culture was cultivated by my CT and the entire Aqua Cluster team. These students knew what was expected of them and followed the norms of his classroom. My CT and the Aqua Cluster team had set these expectations into motion at the very beginning of the year and by the time I inherited his students, they were programmed to behave according to rules and routines set fourth by the entire cluster. This made teaching them fun and made classroom management seem effortless.
At Middletown High School, I saw a much different classroom culture. This classroom has no clear structure in place and trying to get students engaged and willing to participate is painfully difficult. In Barrington students came into the room, saw what they were supposed to be doing written on the board, and (for the most part) started working on it. When they got a little out of hand, a gentile reminder of what they were supposed to be doing set them back on the right track. They work until the very end of the class and don't leave until they are dismissed. In Middletown students come into the room and begin socializing. My CT thinks this lets them "get it out of their system" while she takes attendance. Once the bell has rung and attendance it taken, it take more than a gentile reminder to get them settled down. Much instructional time is lost just waiting for them to quiet down. Even then, they are only half listening. Participation is lacking and group work is much harder to manage because many students are off task socializing. About 5 minutes before the end of class, students just decide that they are done and begin packing up their things. Then they stand by the door or even slightly outside the door until the bell rings. Many times I have to wrangle them back inside the classroom and shut the doors.
In this situation in Middletown, it is easy to try to blame the students for this behavior. At first I even just thought that it might just be because they are high school students and they were just more likely to behave this way. However I had the opportunity to spend some time in a Chemistry classroom with a teacher who has a very different approach. His students came into his room, immediately sat down and looked at the objective written on the board. If there was a "do now" task he announced it and they got started on it while he took attendance. Student and teacher expectations and rules were clearly posted along the walls of his room, which were clearly written in part by the students. Voluntary class participation was still low, but it seemed much easier than in my CT's classroom. He utilized every minute of instructional time and there was no "herding" at the door before the bell rang.
While the Chemistry teacher's class is not as perfectly run as in Barrington (Mr. Mac has quite a few more years under his belt), it made me realize what is missing in my CT's classroom. The lack of structure and routine is making classroom instruction exponentially more difficult. The Chemistry is very reflective about how he has gone about creating the structure and routine in his classroom. He has only been there 3 years and admits it is still evolving. However he has clear goals about what he wants his classroom to look like in the future and he adjusts things accordingly as he goes through each year.
In addition to my original teaching philosophy, I will be certain to incorporate clear expectations, structure and routines into my future classroom. I have seen how these classroom elements can positively or negatively effect a learning environment. In order for me to be able to fully implement my teaching philosophy, routine and structure will be a necessary components of my teaching strategy. I know that implementing my teaching philosophy is possible. I have seen it work in Barrington. I know it may take several years and LOTS of reflection to perfect they proper execution of my teaching philosophy, but I will always continue to strive to make my classroom a fun, safe learning environment for all of my students.
My teaching philosophy is to make learning fun and interactive. The best way to do this is to ensure a learning environment that is safe, allow for student input, and to spark student interest by connecting content to things that are relevant to students’ lives. In order for this method to be successful, teaching practices should be constantly evaluated to ensure that student learning objectives and scholastic needs are being met in all classes.
My goal as at teacher is to teach my content in a way that is fun and meaningful to my students. Students should be actively engaged in the learning process and lessons should reflect how science relates to their every day lives. Science education should be more than just relaying facts and figures. Learning should be hands on and require critical thinking. I want my students to learn how to “do” science. I want them to understand the scientific process and to become scientifically literate citizens.
I believe that students learn best in an environment where they feel safe, get to have fun, and feel like they have a little bit of control over their own education. The number one rule in my classroom is to treat others the way you would expect to be treated. Bullying will not be tolerated. I want my students to feel like they can be who they are and not be ostracized for it. I also want them to feel free to share creative ideas and make mistakes. It is O.K to make a wrong prediction or to have a hypothesis not work out. This is a science class. Part of the scientific process involves figuring out how and why things went wrong and learning from them. I also want my students to feel like they have some control over their education. Little things such as involving them in making classroom rules and allowing them to explore ideas that are interesting to them can be empowering for students. Incorporating current scientific topics or student interests that are relevant to the curriculum can make learning fun and engaging. Allowing students to be involved in classroom decisions gives them a sense of ownership and makes learning something that they are a part of.
While I like to give students options and include them in classroom decisions, I also realize that things may not always work out. As the teacher, I know that it is my job to constantly evaluate my teaching practices and adjust them accordingly. All classes are different and what may work for one my go horrifically wrong for another. Being flexible is important. Being able to accurately evaluate your teaching practices and changing them to meet the needs of your students is paramount to maximizing student success.
To be a successful teacher, I will need to create a learning environment that works for my students. Students must be given hands-on experiences, feel comfortable experimenting with new ideas, and feel like they have some input into the learning process. I also realize that creating such an environment is a major challenge. A student-centered science classroom requires students to understand the importance of safe procedures, and know how to work cooperatively. I will need to devote time and energy to cultivating a safe and productive classroom atmosphere. As a teacher, I must feel comfortable experimenting with new methods of instruction, and accept the fact that not every lesson I create will work perfectly. I must also constantly evaluate the effectiveness of my classroom practices. While I recognize that it will take years of hard work and dedication to fully implement my teaching philosophy, I am confident that I have the knowledge and willpower necessary to succeed.
My experiences in my student teaching placements this semester have reinforced my views expressed in my original teaching philosophy. I have been placed in two very different classrooms. In one of these placements, I see many of the attributes of my teaching philosophy being incorporated into the classroom. My middle school CT makes his lessons fun and engaging. He has created an environment in which students feel safe to take risks answering questions and often entertains ideas that students find interesting and would like to continue exploring. He adjusts his approach for each class to accompany the different temperaments and needs of his students. He is also extremely reflective and is constantly thinking about how to improve his instruction or an assignment.
In my high school placement, I see quite a bit of note taking and lecturing. The students are obviously disengaged and show little interest in the subject matter. Even the hands on activities seem to bore the students. Unfortunately, I don't see any reflection from this CT. I feel as though she is aware of this disengagement but lacks the will or ability to use reflective practices to change her activities and instructional techniques. I understand that not every lesson will be a great success. However I have yet to see one lesson in this class that the students are truly engaged in.
My teaching philosophy is clearly much more aligned to my middle school CT's teaching methods. My experiences with him and his students this semester have strengthened the beliefs expressed in my teaching philosophy. I have seen him execute many aspects of my philosophy with great success. His students are actively engaged and seem to genuinely enjoy his class. They are always willing to answer questions and eager to participate in classroom discussions. His reflective nature allows him to continually adapt and improve instruction to meet the needs of his students. He is an absolutely outstanding model for me and I hope to be able to emulate his teaching methods in both of my student teaching placements next semester, and in the future.
As I come to the end of my student teaching experience, my teaching philosophy has not changed much. I still believe in having fun, creating safe environments, and allowing for some student choices. What student teaching has taught me about this philosophy is that none of this is possible without proper structure and routines that need to be established starting on the very first day of school and need to be constantly reinforced until they become the expected classroom norms.
My time at Barrington Middle School was fantastic and my teaching philosophy was easy to implement. The students were actively engaged, participated willingly, and were never afraid to be wrong. What I didn't realize at the time was that this classroom culture was cultivated by my CT and the entire Aqua Cluster team. These students knew what was expected of them and followed the norms of his classroom. My CT and the Aqua Cluster team had set these expectations into motion at the very beginning of the year and by the time I inherited his students, they were programmed to behave according to rules and routines set fourth by the entire cluster. This made teaching them fun and made classroom management seem effortless.
At Middletown High School, I saw a much different classroom culture. This classroom has no clear structure in place and trying to get students engaged and willing to participate is painfully difficult. In Barrington students came into the room, saw what they were supposed to be doing written on the board, and (for the most part) started working on it. When they got a little out of hand, a gentile reminder of what they were supposed to be doing set them back on the right track. They work until the very end of the class and don't leave until they are dismissed. In Middletown students come into the room and begin socializing. My CT thinks this lets them "get it out of their system" while she takes attendance. Once the bell has rung and attendance it taken, it take more than a gentile reminder to get them settled down. Much instructional time is lost just waiting for them to quiet down. Even then, they are only half listening. Participation is lacking and group work is much harder to manage because many students are off task socializing. About 5 minutes before the end of class, students just decide that they are done and begin packing up their things. Then they stand by the door or even slightly outside the door until the bell rings. Many times I have to wrangle them back inside the classroom and shut the doors.
In this situation in Middletown, it is easy to try to blame the students for this behavior. At first I even just thought that it might just be because they are high school students and they were just more likely to behave this way. However I had the opportunity to spend some time in a Chemistry classroom with a teacher who has a very different approach. His students came into his room, immediately sat down and looked at the objective written on the board. If there was a "do now" task he announced it and they got started on it while he took attendance. Student and teacher expectations and rules were clearly posted along the walls of his room, which were clearly written in part by the students. Voluntary class participation was still low, but it seemed much easier than in my CT's classroom. He utilized every minute of instructional time and there was no "herding" at the door before the bell rang.
While the Chemistry teacher's class is not as perfectly run as in Barrington (Mr. Mac has quite a few more years under his belt), it made me realize what is missing in my CT's classroom. The lack of structure and routine is making classroom instruction exponentially more difficult. The Chemistry is very reflective about how he has gone about creating the structure and routine in his classroom. He has only been there 3 years and admits it is still evolving. However he has clear goals about what he wants his classroom to look like in the future and he adjusts things accordingly as he goes through each year.
In addition to my original teaching philosophy, I will be certain to incorporate clear expectations, structure and routines into my future classroom. I have seen how these classroom elements can positively or negatively effect a learning environment. In order for me to be able to fully implement my teaching philosophy, routine and structure will be a necessary components of my teaching strategy. I know that implementing my teaching philosophy is possible. I have seen it work in Barrington. I know it may take several years and LOTS of reflection to perfect they proper execution of my teaching philosophy, but I will always continue to strive to make my classroom a fun, safe learning environment for all of my students.